For years, compressed air has been utilized to spray lubricant on surfaces. Systems incorporating compressed air to blast lubricant or oil are known in the art. For example, Auto Research Corporation disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,346 a lubricant or coolant distribution system for dispensing an air/liquid mixture. The Ruthman Machinery Company introduced a means for controlling the amount of coolant distributed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,449.
An improvement that has been introduced to lubricant spray systems is a mechanism for cooling the lubricant so as to limit the amount of lubricant that is sprayed upon a heated surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,676 of Eaton Yale & Towne Inc. discloses a vortex chamber for accelerating fluid and aspirating lubricant. A vortex tube is incorporated into U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,232 to cool the air stream that mixes with the lubricant.
Link's U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,506 discloses multiple mixer heads to produce the air/lubricant mixture. U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,024 of Lubrication Systems Company of Texas, Inc. incorporates multiple oil reservoirs and multiple mist generators that are alternatively activated and deactivated. The system also incorporates a heater manifold that heats the oil before it is combined with the pressurized air.
U.S. patent application No. 2011/0120803 of Dropsa S.p.A. discloses a lubrication device incorporating a lubricant reservoir and a pump that feeds lubricant into a modular element. The device also incorporates a vortex tube to cool the compressed air with which the lubricant is mixed.
Finally, the website located at the URL http://www.magugliani.it/lubrorefrigerazione.htm discloses a lubricant system that incorporates a vortex tube and lubricant pump that introduces lubricant into the system.